Dining, drinking and cooking. Negotiating between hedonism and health. Sock it to me.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Teardrop in the Bucket

The best thing about Teardrop Lounge is that they have a really strong signature. Their bizarro ingredients and housemade concoctions combine in unusual cocktails that always have a lot going on. Fresh fruit, flavorful spirits and interesting spicy, sour or bitter elements are always meeting up in unexpected ways. It may seem a little shocking or fussy to classic cocktail loyalists, but I always appreciate the chance to taste a new recipe and learn a new way to enjoy my favorite spirits.

Teardrop is also a very comfortable spot for happy hour. Yesterday we enjoyed a beautiful September evening out on the sidewalk with an awesome Love in the Afternoon (rye, aprium®, lemon-basil-demerara soda - wow) and an intriguingly peppery-fruity-smoky something or other made with a canteloupe-cayenne gastrique and tequila. And also a super velvety Twilight at the Nacionale (Matusalem rum, apricot brandy, pomelo bitters, lime, and Teardrops' house specialty tepache. We snacked on yummy mushroom-cheese empanadas and squash-chevre croquettes with pine nuts on top. I feel like pine nuts were very much a part of the whole 90s gourmet thing (I remember getting them on Zachary's pizza in Berkeley) and not used so much anymore, which is why it is so exciting to eat them now again. Food trendiness is funny like that.

Then I convinced chef Alyssa to bike-pool back to Southeast, which was fun. It is always nice to ride home at 7 instead of 5. Especially when it is sunny and warm out. September is pretty nice.